For The Love Of Words!

Bud the Teacher made a deal, it being National Poetry month in US.

He has run a series of prompts on his blog this month, encouraging me, among others, to write a verse a day. I don’t normally splash the verse I write all over a post. But then the ‘word’ is one of my interests.

It being the year of astronomy, here are all the bits of verse that Bud coaxed out of me so far that have a particular cosmic element to them, and a few that are of themes closer to home:

In less time than it takes to say the word
A whole universe came into being.

One, two, three
wrote Gamow,
or more exact
Gamov,
from big bang
to tomorrow,
atomic fact
was off
beyond the
vicinity
of Gamov’s
infinity.

What it is to feel

soft sand under foot,

waves lapping at ankle,

warm sun on back.


Where else in the universe

is there rich pleasure as this?

“It’s been a long time since Cataclysm.

They said in the beginning
it might be quite a journey.
And so we are all here
in one form or another.
No one knew
it would be so simple to start it off.

Even Fermi didn’t, though more than most
he had the insight. ‘So where are they all?’
was what he put to them, knowing full well!

Fermi?
He’s over by the supernova.
Can’t get him away from it.
Addicted they say.
He always was fanatical.
Apparently he was among
the first to congratulate Hawking
when he got here.

Hawking knew all along of course.
It was only a matter of time.
And before he let it all out,
it was far too late.”

“Another crumpled Golden Kiwi ticket!
Jackpot’s 9.5 million this week.
Chance would be a fine thing.”

“Now that’s what I call lucky.
There’s a car with registration 319WXG!
What's the chance of seeing that?”

“Talk about flukes.
Looked up at the sky last night.
Saw two satellites crossing within,
well, millimetres.”

“Just think.
Of all the galaxies in the cosmos,
by sheer coincidence,
we happen to be right here.”

“You and I.”

“Better get another Golden Kiwi ticket.”

In the arid heat there’s nothing so dear
as water to a parchment tongue.

Nothing so peaceful in a cool evening
than the rippling lake in summer.

What is it about crystal clear water
That turns a tired mind from dull task?

Through the ages we got by
with a few basic tools,

fewer that even a child might use,
and for the same purpose:

a scrap of paper -
a bundle of crayons;

once shown how to use them
creativity needs no prompt.

Of cleanliness,
they got it right,
the marine tropicals.

I mean
the little fish
like Nemo,
in finding the same.

They just can’t hack the filth.
Enterprising aquarists,
to their cost,
found that out.

Yes, it’s to be pristine,
that’s the word,
like the clear crystal
water
they thrive in.

You can tell
as you look
through the
blue water
it’s clear
the fish are
in their element.

“Can I have a scissor please?”

“A what?”

“A scissor.”

“We only sell them in pairs.”

“I’ll have two scissors please.”